


The Stones of Ladby

by FaceofMer



Series: The Tiphys Chronicles [2]
Category: Doctor Who, Torchwood
Genre: Action/Adventure, Aliens, Epic Bromance, Gen, Humor, Outer Space, Science Fiction, Teamwork, archeology
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-05-13
Updated: 2013-05-13
Packaged: 2017-12-11 17:21:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,150
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/801206
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FaceofMer/pseuds/FaceofMer
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When one of Jack's old flames calls up asking for help retrieving an alien artifact, it's up to Jack Harkness and River Song to get the Stones before someone else can.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Stones of Ladby

River sat in the ships tiny galley, reading a book on Ancient Earth Myths and sipping a cup of coffee. Jack came in, hair wet from the shower and got himself some breakfast. River tapped the book. “See you named this ship after this list of Argonauts. _The Tiphys_.”

“Yeah, find it’s easier to just go with a theme, when I get to Polyphemus I’ll just have to find something else.” He smiled and sat at the table. “Hopefully it’ll take longer than the last one.”

“Dare I ask?”

“Two weeks.”

River raised an eyebrow. “Really?”

“Well to be fair there’s only thirteen Christian Apostles. And it was a rough two weeks.”

“Thirteen? I thought it was twelve.”

“Well, Judas got kicked out and replaced. And my _Judas_ only lasted an hour. Left thruster gave out on me. Probably should have skipped that one.”

River chuckled and put the book down, shaking her head. Just then the coms beeped and Jack went to answer it. River watched him as he read the message. She’d been hanging around with Jack for a couple weeks now and it certainly made life a bit more interesting. He closed the message and set a new course

“That was an old friend of mine,” said Jack. “We’re going to the Foxlei system. You’ll like her, her father’s an archeologist.”

“Exciting.”

 

They landed at a dusty spaceport and Jack lead them to a house that blended into all the rest. “Jack!” Adrienne threw her arms around Jack’s neck and kissed him deeply. It was a long moment before he was able to extricate himself and give River an embarrassed smile. River just watched bemusedly. “Adrienne, this is Professor River Song. She’s an archeologist as well.”

“Oh, River Song! I loved your work on the Zolkon Rebellion. Piecing together that the chamberlain was the true leader was brilliant.”

“Oh well...”

“And how on earth did you find the Scepter of Weeks?”

River would never admit how she had found that particular treasure. She was aware Jack was watching her. “Lucky, I guess. I understand you wanted the Captain’s help with something?”

“Oh, yes.” She turned to her desk and picked up an old diary. “Jack, you remember how my father was always going on about the Stones?”

Jack nodded. “The Stones of Ladby, right?”

“Exactly.” She opened the book to a well-worn page. “I think I’ve finally found them.”

“Really. Where?”

Adrienne pulled up a map of a nearby star system. “I think they’re here.”

Jack frowned. “That’s Nevit territory, they won’t want anyone digging around.”

“I know, that’s why I called you. You’re good at getting things done, I remember that.”

Jack gave her a smile. “I’m good at a lot of things, doesn’t mean I want to end up in a Nevit prison for a hundred years. I’m too tall. And pretty.”

“Please, Jack, you know how important this was to him.”

Jack sighed and looked at River. River shrugged. “If the information is as good as she says, it’ll be an easy in and out.”

“It’s never an easy in and out.”

 

A short time later they were on a planet in a heavily forested area. Evergreen trees hung damp and low. River was looking at her pad, bundled up against the chill. A low fog added to the eeriness of this place. “Entrance should be just over here.” River lead the way while Jack had his gun out, expecting trouble.

“The Nevit are known to like their privacy,” he said.

“Oh I know. There’s been no archeology done in this system for over a hundred years.” She crouched down and examined some stones. “But someone was here before us.”

Jack crouched next to her. It was an entrance to some sort of underground lair, the rocks were scattered around like a seal had been broken, and very recently too; the edges weren’t even wet from the fog yet. Jack and River exchanged a look, but he let her go first.

It didn’t take long to find the other people.  Lights had been dropped on the ground like a breadcrumb trail. “Stupid,” muttered River as they carefully followed, peering around a corner. A short silver alien was directing a handful of humans. River winced as they carelessly knocked over and shattered a statue in their effort to pry open a door.

“Go on, put your back into it,” growled the silver alien.

 Another human was watching off to the side. “We’ll get it Master Haviel.”

“You better. I already have a buyer lined up for the stones.”

River scanned the room and nodded at another passage. They moved as quickly and quietly as they could, slipping into the parallel passage.

“You have any idea how to get to the stones?” asked Jack quietly.

River gave him a cocky smile of her own. “I’ve got a few ideas.”

“I bet you do.”

River just led the way further down the corridor. “The stones, do you know what they do?”

“Honestly? I have no idea.”

River rolled her eyes. “Too distracted by the archeologist daughter.”

“Well, you’ve seen her…”

“Oh yes…” River suddenly flattened against the wall as there was a loud noise from the entrance. “Sounds like the Nevit have arrived. “ There was blaster fire.

“Yeah.”  River and Jack took off running. They hit a dead end and River used the gun to make a hole. Jack smiled as they caught their breath on the other side. “Almost makes me wish I had a banana.”

“What?”

“Oh, guess you haven’t heard that story.  I’ll tell you later.”

River shook her head and looked around the room. It appeared to some sort of temple room with a hole in the ceiling to allow in the gray light from above.  Suddenly the door at the far end swung open, revealing the group from before.  The two parties stared at each other.

The silver alien spoke first. “How did you get in here?”

“Magic door,” smiled Jack. “Did I hear you having a little trouble back there?”

“It’s been taken care of. Where are the stones?”

“Stones, stones, nope, there’s some pleasant moss over here, don’t see any stones.” Out of the corner of his eye he saw River slip through a door on the other end of the room.

The other human drew his blaster. “We seem to be after the same thing. You will help us.”

“Help you? Oh, well, since you asked so nicely…”

 

River slipped quietly down the corridor. She was quite sure Jack would buy her the time she needed. Her light showed an ancient language running down the corridor. She traced her hand along the words and nodded. Two more steps and she stopped. A large splash of light from above lay invitingly across the floor.  There was a trap here. She went back to the words along the corridors edge, one side and then the other, mouthing words to herself. One more nod and she carefully knelt to draw in the dust before picking a path, holding her breath until she was across. She could hear voices coming up the corridor and slipped into an alcove. Jack was still talking, just making inane conversation. The group stopped at the pool of light.

“You should go first, Captain.”

Jack smiled.  “Of course. Always send the new guy into danger.” He glanced at the marks River had left before stepping on them to wipe them and carefully picked his way across. He gave a little bow when he reached the other side. Haviel followed next, keeping the same path. The other human, who Jack had learned was named Kenneth, followed just as closely. That left the three lackeys. The first two were careful, but the third one stepped off the path. There was a strangled scream as the floor quickly swallowed him.

River quickly moved down the corridor again while they were distracted. The air was getting more humid and she could hear an underground river of some sort.  She came of the corridor onto a natural bridge. River looked at it a long moment, but could hear the voices behind her, coming closer. She took a step and two rocks started swinging across the bridge. Shaking her head, River watched the timing and darted across, just making it. She didn’t wait this time, just moved further along the path, watching the way carefully.

She ducked between two rocks and found herself in a room. The three gray-blue stones stood on pedestals in the center of the room, bathed in another circle of gray light. The middle one stood slightly higher than the others.

 She crouched in the shadows again as she heard approaching voices.

 

Jack was walking with Haviel. “You got hire more limber people next time.”

“Next time I will just hire you, Captain. Go on and get the stones.” He gestured with the blaster.

“Well, since you asked so nicely…” Jack looked at the three stones. River hadn’t had a chance to leave him any clues. He straightened his shoulders and stepped into the light, watching the stones. Carefully, he picked up the left stone. A faint a humming started somewhere in the room, but Jack remained focused on his task. With another breath he took the one on the right. The humming raised in pitch. River could see Jack had an idea of what would happen next, but still he tucked a stone under his arm and reached for the third one.  The room nearly vibrated with the humming as Jack took it and turned to leave the circle of light. His foot crossed the line.

A blast of electricity threw Jack back against the pedestals.  The stones rolled away from him and out of the light, nearly to Haviel’s feet. The faint scent of ozone hung in the air. “Pity,” said Haviel, bending to gather the stones. He froze as River placed her gun against his back. “Ah. So he did have a partner.”

“Set the stones and your weapon down and get on your knees.”

He complied. River walked around him. Jack was still and it was starting to worry her, despite what she knew.  Finally she was facing Haviel. He broke into a grin as she faced him. “River Song! My employer said you might be coming along.”

“And who is your employer?” Asked Jack, picking himself up. Haviel stared until River nudged him with her blaster.

He looked between them. “I was hired to get the stones. Heard there was a well paying buyer.”

Jack walked over to get his own gun back and pocketed the other one. “Buyers always say that. Funny, someone asked us to come get the stones too. Why would they do that?”

“Maybe they hoped the victor would get the spoils,” said River. “Get the stones too, Jack.”

Jack collected them. “We still going to deliver?”

“Don’t you want to see your old girlfriend?”

“What about him?”

“That’s up to the Nevit.”

 

Adrienne was at her desk when River and Jack let themselves in. She smiled. “You never did like to knock, Jack.”

Jack smiled back.  “We got the stones.”

She grinned and stood. “I knew I could count on you. Where are they?”

“Right here.” Jack moved toward the desk while River hung back in the doorway. He carefully set a bag down on the desk.

Adrienne moved around the desk and leaned up to kiss him. Suddenly there was a shot and Jack crumpled. She turned and cried out as River shot her in the arm, making her drop the gun. River took three steps and spun her to face the desk, locking handcuffs on her wrists. “The Nevit are eager to meet you. Who is  your buyer?”

“Why should I tell you?” Adrienne was still struggling a bit.

Jack grunted and got to his feet. Adrienne gasped and stopped fighting as she stared at him. “Trust me, sweetheart, it’s a lot better to just give River what she wants.”

Adrienne nodded at her desk. Jack shifted papers and pulled out a memo.  Tasven Hollis, the same man who had kidnapped Allysa. He showed it to River. “Someone really wants to get rid of us.”

“Looks like.”

A noise at the door alerted them to the arrival of the Nevit. River hauled Adrienne up straight. “The Nevit will take care of you from here.”

Jack pocketed the memo as the short cloaked figures came in. One of them took Adrienne’s arm while another said something that sounded a lot like thank you as they grabbed the stones. Jacked watched them go. “Handcuffs, eh?”

River gave him a smile. “They do come in handy.”

“That they do. Come on, I think we can both use a drink, then when we need to find out what else Tsaven Hollis has been up to.”

“I’m sure we’ll find out soon enough.”

**Author's Note:**

> Again, thank you to Cuda for assistance.
> 
> You can find me on tumblr at [merindab.tumblr.com.](http://merindab.tumblr.com/)


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